Trigger Happy Havoc
by TellThemNaegi
Summary: I tell ya, HPA's gonna blow! The student council massacre, the shady reserve course and even human experimentation! Our local detective may side with exposing these scandals and letting the school burn, but what about the little guy(s) in the crossfire? I guess whether you care depends on preference. Truth or peace, which leads to hope and which ends in despair? Sequel to Layers.
1. Chapter 1

This fic is a sequel to Layers and a rewrite of Distrust that's up on Ao3. There's a lot I wanted to add, so there'll be some major changes to the plot.

-?-

"Summer Vacation's nearly over, and you've been awol the whole time. I was starting to think something happened." Makoto spoke over the shots of gunfire. He dug into the bowl of popcorn and tossed a piece into his mouth.

He sat upright on the soft couch. The furniture was bigger, more comfortable and probably more expensive than anything Makoto owned in his dorm. Pinker too. The color suited the owner, but at the same time, black was more appropriate.

He maneuvers over the pair of model-like legs resting on his lap, reaching for the group of stuffed animals surrounding the bowl. They were mostly white and pink, matching the décor.

However, it's the bear's unusual design that steals the brunet's attention; a monochrome design split down the middle, with a jagged red eye on the dark half. He grabs the plushie and sets it near his chest. "I'm not sure if I get this despair stuff, but glad to have you back. Junko."

Contrasting Makoto's position, Junko Enoshima lies on the sofa, legs sprawled out over his. Her head sinks into the texture of the arm rest while strawberry-gold locks cascade off the edge. "Shhh. We're almost at the good part!" The fashionista grins, eyes glued to the excess violence depicted behind the flat screen. "If you really want my attention. Tell me how you _really_ feel next time."

It's amazing how neglectful Junko can be to a guest when _she's_ the one who invited him to a movie night. "That's awful. We're friends, aren't we?" He chuckles.

"Jog my memory on when I signed up for that subscription again?"

Unperturbed by rejection, Makoto gently pets the Monokuma doll's head. "I think of everyone as a friend. I'm aware my affections can be one-sided though."

Junko turns her head, analyzing him in a very literal sense. "Even after I gave you the whole despair spiel, this is all you have to say?"

"More or less. I don't really get the concept." He shrugged, half-attending to the movie.

"Haaa. You're killing me here, Big Mac." Junko faux sighs, her hand reaches behind the couch. "If I can't explain it in words…" A twisted, feral grin is his only warning "Maybe you need a demonstration!" A dagger finds its way into her hands, brought to the boy's face.

The blade tip halts inches from Makoto's eye.

"I don't need it. I already talked to the seniors. They were really obsessed with you." His hand latched onto Junko's wrist. That Ultimate Lucky Student was a title awarded to one of the masses who happened to win a lottery. However, the fact that class 78's luckster smiled at the unprovoked attempt on his life proved he was a rare breed of person.

"Past-tense. Like I said, you've been gone for a long time." The blade trembles. Junko tries to force it through. Makoto's vice-like grip tightens, sealing any further movement. "You weren't playing with them, so...I hope you don't mind if I took them off your hands."

The despair deva smirks. With a flick of her hand, she whips the weapon off to the side. The knife falls onto the floor and Makoto unhands her. "You think it's _that_ easy for them to let go of despair once they've tasted it?" She teases and rubs her reddened wrist.

He cocks his head, slowly. "Why not? Nobody's going to deny happiness when it's thrust in their face. They'll latch onto it, even when it blinds them to the important things. That's why a lot of us don't think twice about stealing others' happiness, if it nets us a happy ending." The logic sounded common enough to the luckster, and yet… "I don't like it myself. I think there should be a way for everyone to achieve their own happiness."

"That's impossible. _Thankfully_." A world of sunshine and rainbows sounded like a nightmare.

"Maybe." Makoto propositions. One he's certain will end in failure. He could already see Junko scrunched face in disgust when he outstretched his hand. Still that didn't mean he couldn't try. "What do you say about me talking you out of this despair business, and we can work together making the impossible, possible?"

Junko blinked slowly. Then returned her gaze to the film, wordlessly rejecting his proposal.

Makoto scratches his chin awkwardly, then does the same. As he gets sucked into the movie, Junko observes him from the corner of her eye. Judging by appearances, there was nothing outstanding about Makoto. Well, he was cute at least, if a bit plain but Junko hardly cared. No man alive could match up to her aesthetics. What's on the inside mattered so much more.

This hope-spewing drone, who'd even converted her despairs, should be her complete opposite..._and yet..._

The movie continues. She'd chosen a horror flick that was trending lately, then (not so legally) modified it to her specifications. Compared to the original, her rendition was so much more vibrant and engaging that even the creators would have shed tears of awe and envy.

In the middle of killing one another - For her alterations were designed to brainwash the viewers to experiencing despair the same destructive way Junko did.

_And yet..._

Makoto watches it all, un-phased.

"And what'll you get out of this perfectly happy world of yours?" Junko asked.

He smiled, enraptured by the despair video. "_My_ happy ending."

_We are the same._

* * *

_Howdy, everyone. This is your lovable headmaster, Monokuma speaking - narrating, whatever floats your boat! _

_Now as the saying goes, 'every good murder story has an origin that goes waaaay back'. __Huh? Who said it? I just did, ya dingbat. Pay attention._

_Ahem, like I was saying. It __could've started cuz of some chump's huge screw up, like pressing that big red button they should have left alone. Or maybe...it could have been one teeny mistake that led to snowballed into disaster. After all, __there are moments when a single snail can make the world go extinct - Huh, did something like that happen already? I don't remember. Old Mono's getting in on in the years.  
_

_..._

_Anywaaay, in this case, our little problem child was - here's a shocker - Hope's Peak Academy! See, a storm was brewing inside those academy walls.__  
_

_Or maybe a bomb's the better analogy. Yeah, yeah. Cuz' you can't stop a natural disaster, right? Okay, let's go with that - A time-bomb placed in plain sight, counting down to the end._

_So…what to do if you spotted one? I say you've got a few options, depending on your personality._

_I group people in two categories: The ones with sight, and the blind._

_Not literally blind, but like how seeing is different from acknowledging. Take for example, the old men trying to obscure the bomb under all those pesky rumors. Or the others who preferred to ignore the bomb outright and continue their daily lives. Slight, differences aside, these guys were blind as bats, willingly. Not to say ignorance was a crime. You wouldn't get jailed after all! And sometimes, truths really are better left in the dark. Like, say you're on a crash course for a disaster with no hope for escape. Wouldn't everyone prefer peace of mind over worrying about what you couldn't stop anyway?_

_What I'm saying...is that I won't judge. I do admit to thinking differently though, because ignorance was scary! Following the earlier example; even if survival was 0%, you could still do a whole lot with that info outside of surviving. As for what? That also depends on who you're asking._

_Oh, you want to know what I'd do? Ain't it obvious? If you've got a bomb ticking down, you've only got three options:_

_Run._

_Diffuse it._

_Or…_

_Time's up. I'll take a rain check on that question._ _Now to introduce one of the major contestants of this game, in a manner of speaking._

_ That forgetful girl running for dear life._

*pants* *pants*

"Finally got away…" An exhausted, auburn-haired girl leaned back against the wall, scanning the halls. No sign of her pursuer. Only odd stares the students passing by.

Bunch of snobs!

Today started off just fine before He showed up! That might not have meant much from someone with chronic amnesia, but common sense said that giant scary men shouldn't be chasing her! "Too scary, too persistent! what's that freakshow want from me?"

No no no no, it wouldn't matter even then. Even if he had business with her, Ryoko didn't want _anything_ to do with him. She had enough problems with this "Junko Enoshima" broad who was totally on her case.

Ryoko didn't know when, but Junko had sent her a letter, claiming to hold Ryoko's memories hostage.

Beyond that, the amnesiac didn't know a thing about Junko…besides the fact that the illusive woman was off her rocker...but the part about her memories couldn't be ignored. She needed to talk to Yasuke (whoever he was. She'd remember after meeting him!) and figure out a plan of action

But that was increasingly difficult to do thanks to her chaser. Whatever his deal was, it had nothing to do with Ryoko Otonashi. That was her name, and the one of the two things she remembered. The other being Yasuke! Who needed finding, ASAP.

With narrow-minded objectives, Ryoko bolted down the hallway, lead by the notebook containing her thoughts.

"Matsuda-kuuuun!" Ryoko stormed into what was assuredly the correct room, her attention drawn to its sole occupant prior to her arrival. He'd jumped a bit into the air, doe eyes widened in surprise. He panicked as the laptop in his possession nearly fell out of his grip.

Not very coordinated…and the picture of average. Not a distinct feature on him.

Hmm, she wasn't getting a fuzzy feeling. He was short, taking his appearance into account. The image of Yasuke in her head wasn't so…mousey. "Hey, are you really Matsuda-kun?" She asked.

"Mhm" He replied

"Speak up. Which 'mhm' is that?"

"Erm…I'm not him?" He said in this half high pitched half husky voice. "Matsuda-senpai is out right now…I think."

He's not here!? Where else could she look!? "He has to be here! You're not looking hard enough." She whined gripping the boy by his shoulders.

"Uh, I don't think searching around here will change anything. It's not like there's anywhere to hide…except the closet." He pointed to the closed cabinet. "…Matsuda-senpai doesn't strike me as the type to play hide and seek." He sounded familiar with the place…and he was technically right. "You don't have to get so down about it. I'm sure he'll show up in no time."

He was awfully considerate, with that worried expression of his. "Suspiciously so." She unintentionally blurted out, letting go of him.

"Suspicious?" He blinked

Might as well roll with it. "Yeah, it's weird. _You're weird_. Why care so much about someone you don't know…unless." He was interested in her for other reasons reason. "S-Stay back, pervert!" Ryoko distanced herself from the impure fiend.

"H-huh? You've got that wrong. I was just worried." The boy raised his hands defensively, the chain of events occurring too fast.

Ryoko squinted her eyes. "No ulterior motives?"

He shook his head. "But um…could I ask you something?"

"Spit it out." Ryoko said harshly. She wasn't in a hurry since there was nowhere else to look and this was the only place, she knew Yasuke would come to. Pressuring this guy was oddly fun. That's the feeling she got from him.

"Did you, perhaps, forget me?"

...

"Am I supposed to know you?"

"I…think so." What an indecisive person. "There's a rumor about a student who…has amnesia."

"That's me! I'm Ryoko Otonashi."

"Oh, then, I'm Makoto Naegi. Did that jog your memory a little?" The boy said.

Ryoko skimmed through her notebook in search of his name…and she found it, in bold letters and underneath was a warning:

**Danger. Omnivore man. **

That meant…he _was_ dangerous after all.

She closed the notebook, glaring with immense suspicion. "Okay, _Naegi_, if that _is_ your real name!"

"It is." He said with surety.

"Don't interrupt me!" Ryoko yelled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I…came to return _this_ to Matsuda-senpai. He dropped it in the halls." Makoto showed her a black e-handbook.

"What is it?"

"You…don't have one? It's the school handbook, our identification's on here." He was right. The screen showed Yasuke's name and talent in full.

That was weirdly nice of him… "Show me your handbook."

"Eh?" He was reluctant. Suspiciooooous.

"O-Okay, n-no need to glare at me." He handed her one from his pocket.

Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Lucky Student – is what the book had written down.

"…You're a luck magnet? What the heck?" Was that a talent?

"T-That's the usual reaction. I…won a lottery ticket to get in the main course." His speech pattern was way too timid. He's a total herbivore!

She read more of the contents in the handbook. Nothing stuck out above the mundane. It was kind of a letdown.

"Your talent's kind of a rip-off, but you sound like a nice guy, Naegi." Yup her notebook's way off. Maybe Junko tampered with it at some point. It's not very reliable now.

"Hey." She heard Makoto's squeamish voice but didn't pay it any mind. She had a more pressing dilemma.

"Hey…."

Not now. She was thinking. If she couldn't trust this notebook then she was in big trouble.

"Hey!"

"What!?" Ryoko snapped…and froze when she was exactly why Makoto had been pestering her. He was presently in a very uncomfortable situation. Someone else had entered the room during her ruminating. Long black hair, corpse-white skin, a snake-like disposition and unbelievably tall.

"Eeek!"

"Do you know this guy?" Makoto shivered in place, rendered immobile by the giant's (who stood behind him and leered over ominously) hands planted on his shoulders.

"Nope. Not even his name." Ryoko said.

"Bastard…you've forgotten me already." Their assailant snarled in this oddly dignified way.

"I forgot." She admitted, sifting through her notebook "Who are you again?"

"…Isshiki Madarai." He snarled…and wow, he pulled off that fodder goon aesthetic well. The name struck a chord with the small high-school student who lifted his head to get a better look at his attacker.

"Madarai-san? Aren't you part of the student council?"

_What? This guy's a student!?_

The man chuckled in self-derision. "The student council…I wonder myself. After all, I am still alive."

Ryoko blinked. "What's with that phrasing?"

"You should know better than anyone else." He threw her a murderous gaze.

20 unproductive seconds later

"…Was that s'posed to be a cool line? It doesn't really work when there's _actually_ a gap in communication. It's pretty awkward until you explain."

"Are you mocking me?"

"T-The student council…there's a rumor that something happened to them over Summer break. T-The culprit hasn't been found, if the rumor's true. The school says they're all on vacation overseas." Makoto's face paled in fear of the older man's applying any more pressure in his vice-like grip.

Well it can't be a rumor if Snakey's trying to kill me! "That's why? I haven't killed anyone! And if you're in the student council, shouldn't you have seen the culprit?"

"I…was not _present_. My comrades were lured and slaughtered. Perhaps those criminals did not consider me a genuine member…and merely the bodyguard." He scoffed. "I, the Ultimate bodyguard…lost my chance to exercise my talent when it mattered most. Can you even understand the humiliation I feel? You'd better be able to relate!"

Makoto yelped at the intense pain from Isshiki's fingers digging into his flesh.

"Hm. Yeah, that kind of sucks. But at least you're alive?" She said, half-heartedly.

"Yes…and I will use this immortal life of mine to repay this humiliation 100-fold. But first, I must find them."

Ryoko singled out a word that stuck out. "Immortal?"

Isshiki's eyes narrowed. "Have you forgotten what you did to me earlier?"

That went without saying at this point. Not quick on the uptake, this guy.

"You dumped a shelve on me in the shed out back. Then escaped." He said.

Ryoko's eyebrows raised. "H-How are you fine after that?"

"As I said, I'm immortal."

"Can I interrupt?" The hostage said boldly. "What's this about revenge?"

"What else would act as my motive?" Isshiki explained in a voice that made it seem like he was speaking to a dullard. Ryoko shared the sentiment, it was a stupid question, even if it had nothing to do with her.

"…The student council is gone. There's nothing productive about revenge. Instead, you should be trying to _rebuild_ the council." Makoto said.

Isshiki sighed. "Why are you guys making me repeat myself? I'm a bodyguard, that was the only reason I was chosen to be among the council, and that reason has been smeared by the perpetrator of their deaths." His grip tightened. "And even if I wasn't their protector, the council were my comrades and classmates. Why _wouldn't_ I avenge their suffering?"

"Revenge won't correct your failure. You're just lashing out at whatever you can." Makoto stared down the man who'd scared him to death moments earlier. "And…you could also just call the _police_. Seriously, does nobody ever think of that option?"

"Only personal revenge will preserve their dignity; that is the greatest gift the living can offer the dead."

They're fighting. This is my chance to run - Ryoko plotted, already twisting her body to run for the exit.

"Oy, you better not be thinking of escaping again, girl!" Isshiki caught her.

Ryoko groaned. "Leave me out of this, I'm just an innocent bystander! The student council, killings, all that junk has nooooothing to do with me!"

"…So it's come to this." Isshiki said strangely, then looked down at Makoto. "Boy, I don't think I've heard your name." He said in a friendly tone.

That was a red flag if Ryoko ever saw one.

"Um…I'm Makoto Naegi. A first-year." Aaaand Makoto tripped it.

"Well then, Naegi-kun. For what is about to happen, I am sorry." Isshiki's snake like arms motioned upwards, shifting from the lucky student's shoulders to clamping on his head from both sides.

"E-Eh?" Makoto squeaked, his face turning blue.

It was kind of funny, in Ryoko's opinion. He had so many expressions!

"Let us just say you have quite bad luck." Isshiki's threat was obvious. Even a mule would realize that Makoto's head would pop like a balloon if Isshiki didn't get what he was after. "Will you talk?" He posed the question to Ryoko.

"It has nothing to do with me." Ryoko repeated.

"I will absolutely get my revenge, and I will do anything for it. Will you allow me to test my resolve on poor Naegi-kun here?" His voice oozed malice.

"It has nothing to do with me."

"I-I think he's serious." Makoto was utterly terrified….and to be honest, so was she. All the more reason to bail and distance herself from any further involvement

"You…are you really going to leave him? When he's in this mess because of you? How heartless can you be?" Her decision to flee had only hardened Isshiki's negative opinion of her.

"It's Naegi's fault for being so unlucky. It has nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with me-…" She recited her mantra as if already mentally distancing herself from the chaos before her body had caught up.

Isshiki and Makoto stared at her with bizarre expressions. The former settling into cold indifference first. "I see. Then witness the extent of my resolve." He clasped at Makoto's head.

A moment. In what could be called the blink of an eye, Ryoko saw the fear slip off Makoto's face. His elbow jutted out and-

"That's enough!" A figure ran into the room, dashing towards Isshiki. Before the bodyguard could respond, the intruder's fist was already planted into his face. Isshiki staggered back, covering his reddened nose with his hands.

Another blow came in the form of a roundhouse kick to the dome, and before you knew it, the pain in her butt was knocked flat out.

Naturally, this meant Makoto was free.

Meh

"Mukuro..." Makoto remarked.

Mukuro? Who was this? "Oh it's a girl." Ryoko noticed by the skirt. Mukuro's short hair, super flat chest and muscular arms made it hard to tell otherwise.

Makoto thanked the girl with fervor one would expect to give their savior. Mukuro on the other hand returned the gesture with an embarrassed smile.

"I'm Mukuro Ikusaba. The Ultimate Soldier." The freckled girl, who Ryoko had never met before, said.

"Ryoko Otonashi." She replied. But soldier huh…you'd think Mukuro would be a lot less…friendly. Stiffer. Well, not that she'd ever a person in the military to be sure. It's just a feeling she had.

"What were you doing here?" Makoto asked.

"I was passing by and heard all the noise." Mukuro gave a straight and direct answer.

How convenient. Was it his luck?

…

The three engaged in an awkward and disconcerted conversation about what just happened, before another visitor appeared out of nowhere. This time almost literally. A small baby-faced boy, who looked like he belonged in elementary school was suddenly right next to her as if he'd teleported. Turns out his name was Yuuto Kamishiro, a student with no distinctive traits whatsoever; an attribute he weaponized into a talent.

He was The Ultimate Spy.

Apparently, he knew Ryoko from before, but she forgot about him too. He didn't take it too harshly and was aware of her condition beforehand. With some protests from Makoto, Ryoko absconded with Yuuto with the promise of reclaiming her normal life and leaving behind the mess with Isshiki, which meant Makoto and Mukuro would be left with clean-up duty.

All as well. It seemed Yasuke wasn't coming here anyway. If this guy was a spy, he might be able to lead her to him.

She stared back at Makoto just before leaving. There was something about that guy that seemed…off. Ryoko was predisposed to dissecting and analyzing her environment. Usually, she _reminded_ herself that most of her surroundings were irrelevant and she should _stop_ attending to them. Could it be that she was inquisitive by nature?

If so, it would explain why she was curious about this boy she'd never met before and most importantly, was not Yasuke. Makoto was eerie. Her preconception was of an unreliable, meek boy, however, the look in his eyes had blown them away.

Maybe he was kind of suspicious, after all.

-Makoto Naegi-

Makoto and Mukuro were left to themselves. The latter girl who'd improved in the art of emotional expression staring anxiously in the direction of their new acquaintances.

"You should go after her. I'll take care of things here." Makoto said, surprising Ikusaba.

"Why? She looked fine to me." Mukuro replied.

"Ryoko-san has amnesia apparently and I'm not too comfortable leaving her with Yuuto. Um…I guess I'm a little worried." And she was too.

"What will you do about him?" Mukuro's gaze fell on Isshiki's unconscious form.

"I'll call security and explain. No need to worry about me." His words that couldn't be any more inappropriate. A potential victim asking to be left alone with their assailant.

Mukuro looked like she was having an internal conflict between two equal and opposing decisions. "A-Alright, if you're sure." She settled on heeding his advice.

"I am." He waved and showed Ikusaba a charming smile "Hurry before you lose them."

Mukuro (reluctantly) took off, leaving only two in the room.

Makoto's warm smile thinned, as he placed one hand on his hip.

"Why do _I_ have to be the one to say it if she's _that_ concerned in the first place?" Makoto chucked affectionately. If Mukuro wanted to protect her sister, she should go for it. **He **won't stop her.

He phoned security, telling them about Isshiki crazed actions. Of course, leaving out details involving Junko- uh Ryoko now, I guess. One would think calling Junko by a different name would take some getting used to, but he was aright with it after a second. It wasn't like he knew the fashionista all that well to begin with.

"What's she up to anyway? First, she ditches class, disappears for most of summer vacation and now she's lost her memory? I don't get her at all." Makoto mused to himself.

Yet someone answered anyway "Enoshima's motivations – illogical they are – all begin and end with despair."

The monotonous voice sent a shiver down Makoto's back as he turned around in shock. His surprise quickly dying down upon taking in that absurdly long hair. A tall male standing behind him with a face that looked like it had never worn a smile in his life. "…H-how'd you get in here?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Izuru Kamukura, The Ultimate Hope, said in a no-nonsense tone. Makoto could tell he wasn't referring to Isshiki Madarai. He hadn't spared a glance at the fallen bodyguard's way.

"That's _his_ normal reaction, and I usually take the backseat in conversation so…force of habit?"

"I presumed you had more self-control." Izuru said. "How inconvenient."

"Not really, when you're one of the only two people in the world who knows about me. He's better at conversation anyway." Makoto said fondly, as if praising the younger sibling who surpassed him. A gesture bordering on narcissism if taken in a certain context. Makoto had no brothers/ He was referring to the other personality he'd cultivated at a young age. One that had taken on an adorable life of its own.

"You know, when you told me Junko had messed with her own memory, I thought you were pulling my leg. Isn't she planning something with the 77th class? Giving herself amnesia sounds like a huge self-imposed roadblock." The baffled Luckster held the laptop to his chest.

Izuru stared intensely at the pc. "What is that?"

"Nothing much. I'm holding onto it for a friend. Now what about Junko?"

"…Enoshima's actions often lack sense. If life was a chess-game, she takes needless and disadvantageous risks to keep the game going. For this reason, anticipating her next move with logic is next to impossible. It is both her strength and weakness."

"No idea how sabotaging yourself could prove to be a strength, but I won't complain." Makoto shook his head.

"...you are letting her run free?"

"You mean Ryoko? Mukuro went after her, she's probably safe."

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Makoto stared at his senior with bewildered eyes. What'd Izuru think he was? "I'm not a _kidnapper_, and Ryoko hasn't even done anything wrong, technically speaking."

"I see. So you do not even perceive her as Enoshima."

"We talked a bit and she seemed like her own person. A bit goofy but a good person, I say let her have fun." He nodded, dismissing Ryoko's predicament like it were no problem of his own.

"A good-natured person that would leave you to your death." Izuru disagreed.

No seriously, when did he get here? Makoto thought but chose not to voice. "You saw that huh? Everyone makes mistakes. Self-preservation is hardly a crime." And with Junko out of the way, he had an easier time bringing the remainder of class 77 to his side.

In turn Izuru chose not to voice _Makoto's_ hypocrisy.

"That said, if Junko was going to erase her memory in a spur of the moment, I really wish she'd have done it before killing off the student council." And sending the whole school into a frenzy after uploading a video. Some doubted it was real at first, but well, the council kind of up and vanished when the semester began. Hard to disprove, in his humble opinion. But the school was damn sure trying their hardest to cover it up...even with all those protests from the reserve course.

What'd they call it again...oh right, the "parades".

He turned to Izuru with a weak glare. "And you shouldn't have helped her."

"The student council murdered one another. I killed but a single man, who initiated the confrontation." Izuru Kamukura made no excuses for himself.

"Self-defense huh. Even so, you could at least have disabled him without killing him." Makoto pouted. "I'm mad."

Izuru arched an eyebrow.

"I...can try to be mad." Makoto gave him a toothy smile. "Oh well, it's all in the past now and you seem to have gotten a cool souvenir from it." He pointed to the very noticeable scratch on Izuru's cheek. A baiting remark that received no reply. "That was a joke. Please don't hurt me."

"Assuming Enoshima hadn't interrupted by trying to flee…how would you have answered Madarai's resolve?" Izuru replied.

"Oh, you mean that stuff about the student council's dignity?" Makoto reflected on the humiliated man's hardened determination to protect the memory of the council and seek retribution against their murderers. Many could call Isshiki's fervor to see his friends avenged, an admirable goal…but honestly... "I don't care."

The dead are dead. No need to tie down the living with their problems.

Satisfied...or unsatisfied (he couldn't tell), Izuru turned around and walked out of the room.

"Wait up!" Makoto tailed him, finding it difficult to keep up with the older boy.

-Isshiki Madarai-

Isshiki Madarai recovered 46 seconds into Makoto and Izuru's conversation but feigned unconsciousness. He'd heard every relevant word before their departure, his assumptions and excessive methods vindicated.

"I must tell…my brothers." He struggled to stand after the defeat Mukuro Ikusaba handed to him. The information he now possessed was too vital. Ryoko Otonashi and Junko Enoshima were one in the same. Thus, that woman who fought them earlier was a fake. Actually, it was likely Mukuro herself. The fighting style gave it away, and furthermore, they were sisters.

Izuru Kamukura had killed at least one of their members.

Makoto Naegi was somehow involved. The hit list grew, and he would make sure they would be narrowed to none/ Once he and his brothers recovered, they would avenge the student council, that was their only reason for living. A task not given but set of their own will as the only way to atone.

_Or so he thought._

_Isshiki Madarai limped out of the room, completely unaware that he acted not his will but the machinations of another. An unwitting pawn in a sense, outwitted into believing nobody in the room had seen through his feint._

-Izuru Kamukura-

The steps of the Ultimate Hope echoed throughout the empty hallway after separating from Makoto Naegi. He had noticed from the very beginning and intentionally directed the discussion with the lucky student, revealing intricate details about the tragedy that befell the council.

Why?

Because it would be interesting. Why else? Izuru, already having mapped out multiple uses for the bodyguard…among other potential pieces. "Time to pay my teacher a visit." Yasuke Matsuda – The Ultimate Neurologist and the man responsible for rewiring Izuru's brain – was his target. His little experiment was well underway.

…

Hm…there was also that one member of the council that should have survived – Soshun Murasame. He could be useful as well, supposing he still lived. Even Izuru couldn't tell what fate would befall the sole survivor of the killing game. Despair was simply that unpredictable.

* * *

2 minutes after Isshiki departed, the seemingly empty room spits out one more occupant. Out from the closet, stumbles a girl with messy, dark tresses and bandages wrapped around her arms and legs. In her clumsiness, she fumbles with the device in hand and presses down on one of the side panels.

**_"Assuming Enoshima hadn't interrupted by trying to flee…how would you have answered to Madarai's resolve?"_**

_**"Oh, you mean that stuff about the student council's dignity? I don't care."**_

Both Izuru and Makoto's voice sound out from the recorder.

"I-I did it! And without getting caught. I knew they w-wouldn't pay attention to a disgusting pig like me…" Mikan Tsumiki gleefully debased herself.

The nurse performed a short twirl. The revolution was mimicked in her eyes.

A spiral of black and white.


	2. Chapter 2

"Good Morning, Matsuda-kun!" She shouted the first thing after waking. It was far from normal to call out someone else's name as she did, but she had a feeling he would be there.

Just then, someone crawled out from her bed. The slovenly dressed figure rose to his feet, a magazine in hand as he walked over to a nearby chair. He didn't reply to Ryoko's greeting, instead fixated on the reading material

"This is the part where you greet back." She briefly considered getting the wrong guy, but he felt right.

"I don't have to greet ugly people." His eyes don't deign to move from the picture book.

"I'm not ugly! I'm cute. The cutest even!" Ryoko flailed.

"Wrong. You're so ugly that I felt like throwing up the second I saw your face."

"You haven't even looked at me!" She flustered, pointed dramatically at the rude boy. "You could at least put down that dumb book."

"Manga is more important than you. Besides, my mind's eye is enough."

"Woah…"

"Ugly _and_ stupid. That's quite the grim future you've got."

"Are you the kind of bully who makes girls cry?!"

"Enough…By the way, who are you?" Yasuke asked.

"Eh? I'm…" She stuttered…failing to answer what should ordinarily have been the simplest of questions.

She searched through her notebook. "Ryoko Otonashi…" Did that sound right?

"Oh, it's you." Yasuke said in mock surprise.

"…You didn't even know who you were talking to until right now?!"

"You're whining but it's not like _you_ remembered your identity either."

"I remembered _you_." Ryoko glowered.

Yasuke harshly closed his book, making Ryoko stiffen from the noise. "Yes, you did." He said, softly.

"Maybe my memory's coming back. Oh oh, praise me!"

"Lie down. I have to check on your condition." Yasuke slid along his chair to one the many machines occupying the room.

Ryoko laid back down, holding her notebook on top of her chest. Her gaze wandered to the Ultimate neurologist, typing on the computer. She had ample time to take in his silky hair, feminine eyebrows, masculine features before he opened his mouth.

"Stop looking at me, ugly."

She giggled. His sharp tongue was easily his most defining trait. She made sure to write it down in her notebook before she forgot.

"You don't have to put down everything in that diary."

"My brain sickness won't let me remember if I don't."

"…Brain sickness? Listen here, it's a lot more complicated than that." The neurologist explained the reason for her memory loss. Problems with the hippocampus resulting episodic memory dysfunction. Long-term personal experiences couldn't be retained, but she did keep structural knowledge. In other words, Ryoko could remember knowing how to do certain tasks but she was unable to recall the context or the period when she learned of it.

"Too loooong." Ryoko whined.

"I've explained it before. Why don't you write _that_ down instead of the trivial crap that goes in your head?" Yasuke pinched his forehead. "You don't even know if you'll ever be cured. How are you taking your condition so well like this?"

Ryoko didn't need to think to answer the question, it came naturally to her. "I can't remember anything from before I lost like memory, so it's not like I have anything to compare it too. That's why I don't see my forgetfulness as a disadvantage...it's just a part of who I am."

"…There are many disadvantages. You don't even know if you'll ever be cured." He argued.

"I might not want to be cured. That way, I can stay by you forever!"

"…How about your friends, family and loved ones? You remember me, but what about _them_?" Yasuke grit his teeth. It was a rhetorical question, because she _already_ answered it. "Most would panic in your position, but you don't even give a shit, do you?"

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Ryoko shivered.

"…No. You haven't done anything at all." He sighed, then returned to his work.

Ryoko ruminated over any wrong word choices she'd made in the discussion…and couldn't think of any. There was very little to work off. All Ryoko knew was that Yasuke was a childhood friend.

…

She didn't know a whole lot about the world.

To escape the silence, Ryoko reached for a remote, foisting it at the television perched on the wall. At the click of a button, she was directed to the local news channel. A female reporter, red-hair, short stature. A formal attire and average looks.

Ryoko observed all these trivial details immediately.

_"-salvaged the remains of the aircraft days ago. For those tuning in, the plane was recently discovered near an uninhabited island in the Pacific-Ocean."_

"What's all the fuss about?" Ryoko murmured.

"A luxury plane was hi-jacked by terrorists a little while back, but the aircraft's signal went dark a shortly after the terrorists made their demands. Nobody knows why and the media's made a big deal about it." Yasuke replied in an off-hand manner. Guess it didn't concern him.

Being fair, she cared less.

_ "According to air-sea rescue, there was a single survivor. A minor whose identity has yet to be disclosed. Our hearts go out to the hundreds of grieving families and loved ones."_

"I wonder how they felt before the whole world went upside down. I'd bet on total despair." The final word rolled off the tongue.

Yasuke snatched and shut down the tv.

"I was watching that!" She rubbed her hand.

"You think you have the time? Incidentally, how do you plan to stay here with your bad grades?"

…Grades? Oh riiight, she goes to school here. "I get bad grades?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "A scatterbrain like you thinks she wouldn't flop. You never remember lectures so you're always trailing behind. I did my best to keep you around, but if you don't pick up on your studies, you're getting expelled soon."

…E-E-E-E-XPELLED!? "I can't get expelled. Do something, Matsuda-kuuuun." She grabbed his arm.

"Get off me. I already have an idea."

Sparkles lit in her eyes "Tellmetellmetellme."

His lips formed a nasty sneer.

"Glad you're interested, because I promise you'll hate it."

* * *

Yasuke's prediction was spot on. She totally hated his idea. Very, very much. Because the way to make up for her low grades was to participate in the weird study group that was still on-going.

Ryoko laments her fate, skipping on one foot; a playful gesture contrasting her displeasure. She took her time on her journey to the library, which she was only able to make thanks to the concise directions laid out by Yasuke.

Naturally, with the neurologist's personal touch.

_"Go to the orange building once the main gates are in your sights… And don't dawdle…you scatterbrain." _Ryoko recited his instructions.

"How are you feeling today, Owari-senpai?"

Ryoko angled her head over to the source of that preppy voice - A boy with spiky-hair, a darker shade of brown than their school uniform. He was engaged in a conversation with two others.

"Bored outta my mind. I wanna go running already." said a tanned-skin woman in a revealing white top and red skirt. Her sickly thin figure made it easy to see why she needed a wheelchair to move around in. Ryoko'd seen models with more meat on their bones. In Yasuke's magazines.

Idiiiiot. What good were dirty pics when she was right there!

"This coming from the girl who had to lose to us in a marathon before caving in?" An absolute unit in a blue jumpsuit replied.

"Us? We did that?" The mousey boy titled his head.

"You're a forgetful guy…considering beating Akane at her own game was _your_ idea…" The larger man looked at the boy strangely. "I'm still not completely fine with the results." He tightened his grip on the wheelchair. "But things could've turned out a whole lot worse. This idiot would never learn by herself."

"That didn't count, Nekomaru." Akane foisted her finger at the brown-haired boy, who's gaze shifted between the two like he was an outsider in the conversation. "Time for my revenge match, Makoto. Race me around the track." Before Akane could escape her confinement, "Put a sock in it already!" Nekomaru hammered his fist into her head.

…Bunch of weirdos.

"Let us in!"

"Give us our money back!"

"Frauds!"

"Hope, my ass!"

Ryoko's head turns to the main gates.

Many security guards were stationed on the outside, forming a wall, an extra layer in front of the iron bars. From an even greater number of students. Unlike Ryoko's brown school-wear, theirs were a formal black. Ryoko thought they were smarter dressed than she was, but she was getting the feeling they weren't exactly elite. Kind of the opposite.

A guard with teal hair and tanned skin shoved a boy back into the crowd. An unthinkable act for security, to lay a hand on the merchandise they were meant to protect. But with how openly and unabashedly he did so…

"Maybe they aren't students." Ryoko said.

"They are the reserve course."

She twirled in a comical fashion to meet the person who'd addressed her inquiry. There she met a fair-skinned (almost corpse like) girl, with lavender hair, dressed exactly like Ryoko. All save her impressively detailed, purple gloves.

Ryoko deduced the gloves had to be custom-made; the fabric didn't look cheap neither.

"You're staring." She said, moving her hands out of Ryoko's vision, likely an attempt to draw attention away.

"I like to stare."

"…Well, I'm not one to judge." She said vaguely. She nudged her chin at the 'reserve course' "Are you interested in that lot?"

"Nope, not at all." Ryoko answered honestly.

"As expected, little else besides Yasuke Matsuda concerns you."

Ryoko blinked. Not just at the namedrop, but the implications that they were acquainted. "Who are you?" She blurted out.

The girl's stoic mask remained unshaken by the question. By that reaction (or lack thereof), Ryoko concluded they weren't very close.

"Your memory impairment must be severe, if you've forgotten me and what took place in your room a mere 24 hours ago."

…Ryoko's jaw dropped "Liar! There's no way that could have happened between us."

"Ah, so you _do_ remember. Sorry, but I won't let you sweep the events of yesterday morning under the rug. You saw as well as I did after you woke. You along with Matsuda- "

Ryoko stopped listening. Me, her and Matsuda-kun. When I woke up!? "No No No No No!" Ryoko screamed.

"…What are you doing?" She narrowed her eyes to slits.

"You m-may be gorgeous, but Matsuda's the only one for me! There's no room a third wheel in our relationship!"

"…Stop talking."

"Yes ma'am." Ryoko stiffened at the malicious aura emanating from the girl.

"With an answer that stupid, I doubt you actually remember anything, after all." She sighed. "My name's Kyoko Kirigiri. The Ultimate detective from Class 78. I'm currently investigating suspicious activities and I believed I could find leads using Matsuda…among other things."

"I'm Ryoko. How do you know me, Kirigiri?"

"We met in the neurology lab, which you occupied and took as your room. I was interrogating you on murders-"

"I thought this was about 'suspicious activities."

"Which precludes the murders that have gone on in the school…particularly those of the committee. I had sneaking suspicions that Matsuda was involved."

Nope, I want nothing to do with this. "I don't know anything about killings. It has nooooothing to do with me!" She closed her ears.

"I'm aware. I already interrogated you, and found you were an unreliable source." Ryoko had a feeling Kyoko meant to say, "you're useless."

"…Do you remember Madarai?" Kyoko asked

"Who?"

"Check your notebook."

Ryoko did exactly that. Inside was the name Isshiki Madarai…The Ultimate bodyguard. It seemed he was after her for the murder of the student council…and he was…immortal? No, there was more. He wasn't immortal, he merely gave off that misconception, when in fact he was one in a set of octuplets.

"Freaky." Ryoko muttered. She hoped to never run into them.

"Madarai is convinced of your guilt. You'd best not let them catch you." Kyoko warned.

"Thanks for the heads up." And here's hoping Ryoko wouldn't forget again. The amnesiac's thoughts were interrupted by the loud protests of the 'reserve course' (or so Kyoko called them). "What's their problem. Shouldn't they be in class or something?"

"They're a case like Madarai. They've been spurned on by the death of the council. Or that's how the rumors go, supposedly."

"Then they _are_ students?"

"The reserve course is just that. A preparatory division for the main course. Unlike us, they have yet to display ground-breaking talent, and are waitlisted. Until then, you could say they are ordinary people who've paid large sums to attend the academy."

Soooo…piggy banks? Talk about rough.

"So they're a bunch of wannabes with a complex." Wow, literally background fodder. No wonder they don't even have faces. "Then again, the school's kinda messed up for leading them on."

"…Interesting observation. You might actually be more tolerable now that you're like this." Kyoko said, like there was a version of Ryoko that wasn't a perfect human specimen! "Regardless, they have seen fit to host these 'parades' nonstop for days. From what I've gathered, their contempt is deeply rooted and directed at a certain person. The Ultimate Hope, Izuru Kamukura."

"Who?" Ryoko cocked her head. Wait, hope is a talent?

Kyoko studied her like a hawk scouring its prey. If she'd uttered a single lie, Sherlock Holmes would have seen through her.

"Maybe you are useless after all."

"You really said it!" Ryoko responded indignantly.

"Hmm, I'll check on you later, Otonashi-san. If something happens, call me." Kyoko handed her a small sheet of paper with 10 digits written.

Once Ryoko took it from the lavender-haired girl's hands, the other nodded and walked away. Kyoko disappeared as abruptly as she arrived.

"That girl sure is demanding."

…

What was I supposed to be doing again…oh right, the library!

* * *

"Ahem! Everyone, I have announcement to make." Kiyotaka Ishimaru said. From the extremely short period she'd spent with him, she had enough info to conclude he was an overly loud nutcase with a boner for educational correctness. His boisterous voice boomed the instant they entered, catching the attention of the small group of students, seated in a subsection within the library. "We have a new friend joining us."

Uwaaah. He was like one of those super-strict and formal teachers.

"Hey…I'm Ryoko Otonashi." She unenthusiastically waved at the group of 4 asides herself and Kiyotaka.

In the middle of the room was a small boy with darker brown hair than the school uniform, staring at her with curious eyes. Ryoko had seen him on the way. The boy conversed with two others. What was his name?...

Meh, doesn't matter.

Huddled up against him was an even smaller girl, her form barely visible behind a laptop.

On the other side of the boy was the pale, raven-haired guy with a dumbfounded expression. Doesn't he know staring is rude?!

Last was the blue hair, distanced from the others and surrounded by a fair number of textbooks. At least she had the grace to smile back.

"Otonashi? She looks just like-" The girl with the pc began

"It's just a resemblance, probably. Junko-chan and I are twins, we don't have any other siblings." The freckled one said. Ryoko was starting to doubt the assessment on their gender based on the feminine voice.

…Sister? Junko? "Hey, don't say stuff I don't understand." Ryoko fumed.

Kiyotaka coughed. "I believe introductions are in order. Starting with Makoto!"

"Why does he always pick me first?" The spiky one moaned for a split-second before picking himself back up "I'm Makoto Naegi, from class 78. The Ultimate Lucky Student."

Luck? Sounds like a rip. "How does it work?" Her question was met with brief silence.

"…You forgot huh?" Makoto looked downcast. Does he know me? "We actually met for the first time a few days ago and uh…had quite the talk."

Not again. "What were we talking about?"

"You were looking for Matsuda-senpai."

"Yeah, it probably happened then." She double-checked in her notebook and wouldn't you know it, there _was_ a Makoto written down…and underneath were contradicting connotations. 'Dangerous' 'Nice guy, but I don't want to admit it' 'Suspiciously nice'

Make up your mind, me!

"Yasuke?" Said the short girl.

"Hey hey hey, who are you and with the first name basis?" Someone this adorable next to Yasuke was unacceptable! Even she wasn't allowed to call him that!

"I'm Chihiro Fujisaki, same class as Makoto and uh, The Ultimate Programmer. Yasuke's my friend and colleague, kind of. But he hasn't shown up to the lab in a few days." She frowned.

"Fufu. Well_, I_ saw him just this morning." Ryoko puffed her chest, entering a one-sided competition.

"So he's okay then. That's good…I was worried something might have happened." Chihiro let out a sigh of relief. That's some needless worry.

"Is Matsuda supposed to be in danger?" Ryoko recalled her earlier conversation with Kyoko.

"N-Not really."

"There have been some really…terrible rumors going on and sudden disappearances would make anyone concerned." Makoto patted the girl's head and explained in her stead. "I'm not too bothered though, we've got Ikusaba-san to protect us."

"I'm Mukuro Ikusaba, The Ultimate Soldier. You…met me with Makoto, but you probably don't remember." _She_ said, cheeks flushed. Hmm, that was cute too, contrasting her rough talent… Is this what they called moe gap? These girls are trouble!

"Nice to meet you, Ikusaba-san. If there's ever a threat to my life, I'll point them your way." She beamed.

Mukuro nodded.

"Please be a little more reluctant." Makoto sweat dropped.

These guys…look kind of fun. Save one, the girl isolated from the others. But Ryoko was here to study, so it wasn't unnatural that she'd sit next to the person who looked like they were working hard.

"Hiya." Ryoko sat down next to her.

The girl looked up from a sheet of paper immediately, sharply contrasting Yasuke's earlier cruelty. "Hello. I'm Sayaka Maizono, class 78. I'm the Ultimate Pop Sensation. Nice to meet you, Otonashi-san." Now there was a winning smile if Ryoko'd ever seen one. I hope Yasuke doesn't like girls like these. Begs the question…why was she sitting alone?

"Maizono-san's famous all around the country and she goes on tours. Unfortunately, that means she misses classes a lot." Makoto said, as if reading her mind. "I'd help her with catching up…but I'm not really all that smart myself and um, I might just be more of a distraction."

Sayaka shook her head "No, I'm mostly done with schoolwork. I'm busy with my _other_ job; my manager says we need 'fresh' songs to keep drawing in the crowd."

Ryoko glanced at the paper and found no more than 3 lines written. Ouch must be a severe case of writer's (singer's?) block.

"I need to make up for missed lectures. Let's help each other out." Ryoko sparkled with amity.

"You've written songs before?" The idol asked

"Nope, but it can't be _that_ hard."

If Sayaka took offense, she didn't show it. "That so? Then I'd be glad to have you." She brought a finger to her chin. "It's funny though…I've never seen you around. What year are you in?"

"First year…probably." She said uncertain.

"Probably? Does this have to do with your memory?" The bluenette asked, piecing together the bits of info from her introduction and Makoto's commentary.

"I'm a chronic amnesiac…apparently."

"That must be inconvenient. Sorry for asking." Sayaka apologized.

"No problem.'

"I thought I memorized the names, faces and talents of every student in our year. It's part of my job description…and I have never seen Otonashi-kun listed. What did you say your talent was?" Kiyotaka questioned.

She shook her head. "No idea."

"Not even your talent?" Chihiro reeled back in shock.

Talent was a big deal at this school huh?

"Now _that's_ problematic. If only we could help." Kiyotaka said.

"We might actually be able to help. Since you remember Yasuke, it's not like your memories are gone, we might be able to drag them out. Chihiro's an expert on the brain too." Makoto added.

"N-Not in that way." Chihiro blushed from Makoto's praise.

Ryoko tuned out their back and forth of compliments and self-depreciation.

'This guy's super optimistic.' Was Ryoko's opinion on Makoto. Infectiously so that it made her want to go along with him. Doesn't look like everyone shared that opinion. Sayaka, who'd remained quiet, seemed like she wasn't paying attention to the on-going conversation. However, Ryoko caught a change in the idol's behavior when Makoto made his declaration. She closed her eyes and shook her head in exasperation.

Was she annoyed?

Mukuro was also flustered at the proposition, as if wanting to join in or note something of importance. Was she always so awkward?

"Um…I look like your sister?" Ryoko asked Mukuro. That seemed like a grounded assumption, judging from how Chihiro confused them.

"Yeah…a little." Mukuro answered.

"More like a lot. The resemblance is uncanny, they could be twins." Kiyotaka affirmed.

I'm a little curious about her. This was out of character for me.

Ryoko was thinking about a lot of things that weren't Yasuke…but she must, in order to stay with him.

'I wonder what Matsuda's doing now.' She rested her head on the desk.

* * *

Yasuke rested on the bed in the lab, manga covering his face and arms folded over his head. He was a man who only ever did what was expected of him, no more and no less. Some thought he was a hard ass, but a shitty childhood does that to a person. He'd been raised by a single mother. A kind, naïve woman who got duped by the man she loved. That fact took its toll on her mental health and soon she started to forget…everything…even himself.

The doctors refused to complete the surgery because we didn't have enough money. They only did as much as they paid for.

He didn't hate them for it. Meritocracy is what keeps the world going and there was no fairer principle. The neurologist had no issue being one of the cogs in that machine.

Yasuke never exerted himself doing more than necessary because he owed nothing to nobody. He would fix his mother's illness himself. Hope's Peak Academy became a steppingstone to that objective. The Izuru Kamukura project's initial success furthered his credibility and gave him clout with the committee. Oh sorry, the _late_ committee; many of whom, Yasuke had personally disposed of - Their bodies anyway.

The neurologist spearheaded the mental development of the Ultimate Hope and his involvement meant he held sway over some important decisions. Keeping Ryoko in the school was trivial. However, he had done nothing the entire day. Not because he didn't have work to do, but because he'd lost all drive to continue when everything just seemed so pointless.

Junko Enoshima was the exception to that narrow focus. His pretty and bitchy childhood friend. Yet it was only mere days ago that he finally realized the extent of her depravity. He always knew she had a few screws loose, especially with how she treated her sister…but he still loved her. He thought there was a caring person beneath the playful malice.

Then she murdered the entire student fucking council.

Even disregarding the murder itself, the whole academy could go under if that information was brought to light of day. That means he'd lose his prestige and his resources. He depended too much on the academy and losing it would set him back years from achieving his goal…saving his mother.

And Junko would go to jail.

She knew both things…and didn't even care.

He was left with no choice…and tricked her, using the techniques he'd learned to erase Hajime Hinata, to remove Junko Enoshima's memories. Ryoko Otonashi was the fake identity born amidst the memory lapse. In a way, she wasn't all that different from Izuru Kamukura. He only hoped she didn't keep that annoying talent of hers too.

If he could keep Ryoko subdued, everything would work out. At the very least, things needed to blow over first. Keeping track of Ryoko's memories and applying 'treatment' was all he could do…and it seemed to work.

Too bad he underestimated how much of a hopeless bitch Junko really was…until hours before.

_4 bodies were sprawled on the floor in the old, decrepit school building. Each in differing condition. The first was a small boy, crumpled on the ground and unmoving. If there was one oddity, it would be the position of the boy's head, 180 degrees from his front. His name was Yuto Kamishiro and his neck had been snapped and spun around._

_The second and third were Ryoko Otonashi and Mukuro Ikusaba, still breathing, but unconscious state, courtesy of the sudden intruder still standing._

_The last was awake…barely, a hand pressed to his stomach as a thin strand of blood cascaded from his lips._

_"Do not waste my time. Among the few directly responsible for my creation, you know better than most how futile further resistance is." The Ultimate Hope stared down at the neurologist as if he were no more than walking garbage._

_ "I wonder about that. No parent is ever ready for how much of a fuck up their kids just might turn out." Yasuke retorted sarcastically He had come to silence Yuto – The unremarkable brat from his class – who was hanging around the redheaded idiot and looked too deep into the tragedy of Hope's Peak. Yasuke succeeded in eliminating the diminutive nuisance…and felt like shit about it._

_After a small talk with Ryoko, Mukuro showed up dressed like her sister for god knows what reason. And he didn't get to find out before this pain-in the-ass came from out of nowhere and kicked the shit out of them._

_"Children often take after their parents. If you refer to my involvement in the murder of the student council, you should first consider your own." Izuru said. "I understand you quite well. Killing, while regrettable, is weightless when balanced on the scales with Junko Enoshima on the other end."_

_"Fuck off." Yasuke spat bitterly. What the hell did he know-…fuck, Yasuke gave him Junko's talent. _

_"She would have killed you."_

_…Yasuke went silent, his mind reeling from what he'd just heard._

_"W-What?" He muttered unintelligibly._

_"Her ultimate agenda was to grant herself and you despair through betrayal and your demise."_

_"Bullshit!" _

_Izuru pointed at Mukuro, as if there was some clear meaning about the soldier masquerading as Junko. "She'd long seen through your scheme and already drove you to the point of murder. Despite knowing Junko Enoshima since childhood, you doubt she's capable of such atrocities?"_

_Yasuke remembered his elementary school days. Junko built a sandcastle – almost literally– of the Sagrada Familia Church. It was such an amazing construct that neighbours marveled over the month-long work. Yet, just before completion, the craft had been destroyed. Yasuke searched everywhere for the culprit in a rage. What kind of monster would destroy a work of art, that a little girl had devoted herself to creating? _

_ And wouldn't you know it, right when he'd given up, Junko confessed to having destroyed the sandcastle herself._

_She'd used him as a toy._

_"You thought you were special, thus safe? Think again. Because you are worthwhile, she would go to excessive lengths to bring you despair." Izuru said._

_…_

_"What do you want?" Yasuke said in a meek voice that disgusted even him. That's what happens when the one you love turns out to be a cunt. _

_"Your cooperation."_

_"…If you think I'm going along with some revenge plot, you're dead wrong." Yasuke snarled._

_"I don't intend to harm Enoshima. I want her, at least for the mean time, to remain exactly the way she is. You may then monitor her progress."_

_Yasuke's eyes widened._

_"Protecting Enoshima is impossible, not as long as she has free will." The greatest danger to that idiot is, and has always been, herself. Yasuke knew that better than anyone._

_" This way you'll be able to thwart her doomsday agenda and keep her safe…for the meantime. Isn't that what you've been plotting all along anyway? With my assistance, you'll have a greater chance of success this time around." Izuru said._

_"And if I refuse?"_

_"A minor inconvenience, for I am also the Ultimate Neurologist. However, if I exercised that talent…what would be the need for you?"_

_The threat was clear._

_Yasuke sounded and felt just as he had during that moment in his childhood. _

_ "You have a deal."_

_ He gave up._

Yasuke narrowed his eyes, dark outlines clearly beneath them, he didn't sleep at all either.

All he could think about…was how ugly Junko Enoshima was. He wasn't talking about her appearance…but her heart, damaged and repulsive beyond description.

He clicked his tongue getting off the bed. Just thinking of her eviscerated any chance of returning to a good mood. But that's what a murderer like himself deserves.

…

There was one more thing… A problem that Yasuke had initially intended to get rid off but vanished at some point in time. He never got to find out how much that pitiful person knew.

The Student Council president and the sole survivor of the killing game, Soshun Murasame, disappeared days ago. Yasuke planned to kill him but was interrupted. By the time the neurologist returned, the council president had escaped.

Back then, Yasuke actually breathed a sigh of relief. Though Soshun's disappearance was cause for worry, he was relieved that he didn't have to kill a peer he'd met in the halls nearly every day.

Sadly, Yasuke couldn't escape that fate regardless. The target had merely switched from Soshun to a classmate.

"Ha…hahaha. I killed because of a girl who'd intended on killing me…for no fucking reason." A joke so bad, you just had to laugh. Poor Yuto.

Oh well. This entire ordeal only served to reinforce Yasuke's most dearly held philosophy. No matter who you are, what you've done or what you believe in…

Life is suffering, and then you die.


End file.
